Lagardère brokers exclusive Suzuki Cup deal with RCTI

Soccer - 11 Apr 2018

Author: Florence Lloyd-Hughes

RCTI, the Indonesian free-to-air commercial network, is to exclusively show coverage of soccer’s Asean Football Championship, also known as the Suzuki Cup, in 2018 and 2020, after renewing its rights deal for the biennial national soccer teams competition.

RCTI, which has aired the last few editions of the event, will act as the exclusive terrestrial broadcaster of the tournament.

The deal was brokered by Lagardère Sports, the sports marketing agency that handles the broadcast and sponsorship rights to the Asean Football Championship.

The package covers tournament qualifiers, group stage and knock-out stage as well as the final round.

Lagardère said that RCTI “submitted the highest bid which was a substantial increase of investment from 2016”.

The 2016 Suzuki Cup was watched by 34 million people in Indonesia, according to Lagardère.

Kanti Mirdiati, chief executive of RCTI, said: “It is our priority to offer viewers the most compelling content that will enrich and bring meaning to their lives. The AFF Suzuki Cup ticks all the right boxes with its passionate fan following, not only in Indonesia but with fans all over the region.

"They are as captivated in front of the TV as they are passionate about supporting their beloved team in the sold-out arenas. We look forward to another blockbuster performance this year and the edition after.”

Tom Smith, president of Football (Asia) at Lagardère Sports, added: “RCTI enjoyed a highly successful run with the AFF Suzuki Cup 2016. It was the most-watched sports programme of the year in Indonesia, with viewership figures eclipsing that of global sporting events like the Uefa Euro 2016.

“It was also the second most-watched programme in Indonesia that year, underscoring the passion and excitement that are synonymous with football. Having a strong free-to-air broadcasting partner like RCTI enables us to continue building upon the tournament’s success and maximise the engagement with Indonesia’s vibrant and loyal football supporters.”

The 2018 AFF Championship will take place from 8 November to 15 December.